Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop
by Whispering-Willow08
Summary: No matter how busy he was, Sasuke always made the time to get coffee. AU [Two-shot]
1. The Coffee

**A/N: I read someone's suggestion for a headcannon on tumblr the other day that involved a frazzled business man Sasuke going to visit his favorite barista and it gave me this idea! I don't normally write AUs but I really enjoyed coming up with this one. I hope you enjoy reading it as well!**

Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop

He came in every morning and she was always prepared. Before he even reached the counter to order, she would have his coffee ready, sitting in front of the register ready for him to pick up. Occasionally, she would pick out a fresh baked scone or muffin for him, something she thought he might like, and he would be sure to give her his thoughts on the treat the next morning.

Her name tag read ' _Sakura'_ and although they had never formally introduced themselves, somewhere along the line he had mentioned his name was Sasuke. With this knowledge, she would write his name on his paper cup for him, and some days it would be accompanied with a smiley face or a symbol for whatever holiday it may have been – a pumpkin for Halloween, a Santa hat for Christmas, and once even a heart for Valentine's Day.

He was almost always in a rush when he came into the small café at exactly 7:12 each morning. The office kept him busy, and his boss was constantly dumping new projects with close due dates on his desk. Late nights and early mornings had become Sasuke's routine, but he always made time to get coffee.

When he walked into the shop on Monday morning, she was standing at the register, and she peeked behind the shoulder of the customer she was taking an order from to give him a smile. There were a few people sitting at the shiny black tables scattered throughout the café, eating simple breakfasts of scrambled eggs and toast. It was a small place, with only eight tables for customers to choose from, but it was cozy and Sasuke enjoyed the sleek, modern atmosphere.

The customer before him took the number that Sakura handed him and went to wait for his order at a table. Sasuke stepped up to the counter and gave her a nod.

"Good morning," she greeted cheerfully despite the early hour. Her unusual pink hair was pulled back into a ponytail that morning, leaving only her bangs to frame her heart-shaped face. The staff at the café all wore black, and Sasuke always thought the tight-fitting black t-shirts she wore suited her well.

"Morning," he responded pleasantly. He reached up to adjust the silky black tie around his neck as she set a large paper cup in front of him.

"This is a new blend we got in last night," she said. "It's from Tanzania. It's pretty bold, but it's low in acidity. Try it. If you don't like it, I can get your usual."

"Thank you," he said and raised the cup to his lips. She had prepared this for him a while ago, as it was the perfect temperature to drink. He took a sip and let the dark liquid coat his tongue. She was right, the flavor was bold, robust, with a wonderful citrusy after-taste that lingered in his mouth. The acidity was non-existent in the blend, and when he swallowed it felt as though he had just swallowed warm water. Her eyes searched his face for a reaction and he smirked. "It's wonderful."

"You like it?" she said with a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. A few customers weren't too happy with the boldness. But since you like it, we'll keep it." She smiled again and Sasuke's eyes were drawn to her glossed lips.

He had been coming to the café every weekday morning for the past year, and he felt she had developed this smile just for him. They had flirted during his morning visits, so subtly that one really had to read between the lines to even see it. They occasionally brushed fingers as she handed him his coffee and he would stay and chat with her if he had a rare few extra minutes in the morning.

Sasuke realized he had been staring at her lips a little too long, and he quickly looked down, digging into his pocket for his wallet and cursing himself for not having the courage to ask her what time she got off work, or if she was available on weekends. It was too cliché for him. Too many of his officemates bragged about hitting on their baristas, and Sasuke was not that type. Finally, he managed to pull his wallet out from the clenches of his pocket.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Sakura said, waving it away. "This one's on me today."

This was a first, and she smiled cutely at Sasuke's surprised expression. "Thank you," he said and glanced at his watch with a frown. "I better go; I have a meeting and a project to turn in."

She nodded but paused, remembering something. "Oh, wait. I almost forgot." She reached beneath the counter and held up a brown paper bag, stamped with the café's logo of falling leaves. "Pumpkin scones with a maple glaze," she explained. "The owner is trying a new recipe. Give one to your boss, maybe they'll be so good he'll give you less work." She smirked playfully and he took the bag with a smirk of his own.

"Thank you, Sakura. You didn't have to do that."

She glanced down at the screen on her register, a mild blush touching her cheeks. "Well, I thought you would be a good person to test them out. There are extras. You can pass them around the office."

"I will," he said, taking in the cinnamon aroma coming from the bag. He was not a fan of sweet things, and she knew that, so she always made sure to only give him baked goods that edged on the savory side. He glanced at his watch again and looked up at her. "I'll let you know how they are tomorrow."

"Thanks," she said with a sweet smile. "Have a good day."

"You too." He tipped his coffee cup in a sort of salute to her and walked outside, the chilly fall wind mussing his hair.

He slid into his car and set the bag of scones in the passenger's seat. On a whim, he glanced at his coffee cup. That day, Sakura had written his name in a delicate cursive script just beneath the lid with a smiley face added next to it. He smirked at this and wondered if she wrote this way on other customer's cups. He moved to place the coffee in the cup holder, but as he did something caught his attention. The cardboard coffee sleeve, guarding against the hot paper cup, slipped down at the movement, revealing the top of a sentence hidden beneath it. Curiously, he pulled the sleeve from the cup to see the message.

 _Let's drink coffee together someday, okay?_

 _-Sakura_

Beneath her signature was a phone number. Sasuke stared at it, dumbfounded. She had done what he had not been able to do in a year. He considered going back into the café and giving her an answer then and now, but he was already late for work. He decided he would spend the day figuring out how to lighten his work load. After all, if he was going to be dating, he would need to have some free time.

Suddenly looking forward to the day ahead, he started his car and pulled out of the strip mall parking lot, where the café was located. He would call her when he got home from work that day. After all, he had to tell her what he thought about the scones.


	2. The Date

**I had a few requests to expand on this story so I decided to go ahead and give it a shot! Maybe if I get enough requests, I'll expand even more. Enjoy part two!**

The week dragged on for Sasuke, and as he cleaned up and organized his small desk on Friday, he found himself more eager than usual to leave. He intended to make a clean escape, but as he stood from the desk with his briefcase, his obnoxious blond officemate and sort-of friend, Naruto, appeared, slinging an excited arm around his shoulders.

"You're pretty eager to bust out of here, aren't you?" the blond asked slyly.

"Don't touch me, loser," Sasuke muttered, pushing his arm away. "You know I have plans tonight."

"Yeah," Naruto agreed, smirking wickedly, "you've got that date with the barista."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "She has a name, you know."

"I know, I know," Naruto waved his hand nonchalantly. "Tell her to make more of those scones for us, would you? They made my whole day."

"She's not a baker," Sasuke replied, glancing at his watch. "Would you leave me alone? I'm supposed to pick her up soon."

"Where are you taking her?" Naruto prodded as they both started making their way out of the office building.

Sasuke sighed, knowing Naruto wouldn't shut up about it until he answered. "Italian."

"That's all I get?" Naruto whined.

"Fine, the place on Main Street, on the corner," he said, noticing the small wave Naruto gave the dark-haired receptionist as they exited the building. "Is that enough information for you?"

"What are you wearing?" Naruto asked with a goofy grin, earning a glare from his co-worker.

"I'm not changing," Sasuke replied simply, looking down at his black slacks, white button-up shirt, and red silk tie. "I don't have any time to, thanks to your constant questioning."

"Are you taking her home after?" Naruto prodded, moving to sling his arm over Sasuke's shoulders again. However, he was cut off by Sasuke jabbing his elbow painfully into Naruto's ribs. "Ouch!" he cried. "What was that for?"

"You're being vulgar," Sasuke informed him. "It's one date. Now will you leave me alone so I can actually go on it?"

"Fine," Naruto said as they came to a stop next to Sasuke's car. "But I want details on Monday!"

Before Sasuke had a chance to respond, the blond jumped into his car, started it up, and sped away. Sasuke rolled his eyes at his co-worker's erratic behavior, although it was nothing new to him. Naruto had been that way ever since his first day at the office, and although he and Sasuke did become friends, he couldn't help but find him annoying as well.

As Sasuke got into his car, he noticed the lingering smell of coffee from that morning. It seemed that the inside of his car always smelled like coffee lately, and it made him think of the pink-haired barista he just happened to be seeing that night.

The day he got the coffee with the flirtatious message, he had called Sakura as soon as he returned home from work. Their conversation had been simple and pleasant, and he could tell she was pleased that he discovered her secret message. She had been very bold with her move, and Sasuke decided he was going to make the next one. So, instead of asking her out for a simple coffee like her note suggested, he asked her out to dinner. She accepted and they agreed on Italian.

They spent the rest of the week texting back and forth in their free time, asking questions and getting to know each other better. He still went into the coffee shop every morning, right on time, and she smiled a little brighter each time she saw him, although they never mentioned the date to each other in person. She had, however, sent him a text before he left work that day to let him know she was looking forward to dinner.

As he sat in the driver's seat, he opened the messages from her and searched for the address she had given him. To his surprise, he found that her apartment was only a few blocks away from his own.

When he arrived, he hesitated in the parking lot, wondering if he should text her to let her know he's there or just go directly to the door. He hadn't dated anyone since college – he hadn't had the time to – and he realized he had grown rusty in the etiquette department. Fortunately, he didn't have to worry for long. A knock on his window jerked him from his thoughts and he looked up to see Sakura, dressed in a pleated green skirt and white sweater, standing outside the car. Surprised, he unlocked the door so she could come in, stealing glancing at her outfit. He had never seen her wear anything but black.

"I was going to come up…" he started as she got into the car.

"Oh, it's fine," Sakura smiled. "I saw you pull in."

He nodded and pulled out onto the road. "How was work?"

She shrugged. "Oh, you know. The usual making drinks for ungrateful customers for a few hours. Classes were much more difficult today."

He paused and turned to glance at her, careful to not lose focus on the road. "Classes? You're in school?" He realized he had never asked her about her education. For whatever reason, he had never put any thought into it. It made sense, though. After all, she was a year or two younger than him, or possibly even the same age. He had yet to ask her age too.

"Yes," she said with a nod, "I'm only doing the café job until I finish."

He parked at the restaurant and got out, fully intending to open the car door for her, but she stepped out before he had the chance. "Have you eaten here before?" he asked as they walked side-by-side into the restaurant.

"No, but I've heard the food is fantastic," she said.

She took in the savory scent of pasta sauce and garlic bread as Sasuke requested a table for two. The lights in the restaurant were dimmed to create a more intimate atmosphere. Black leather booths lined the walls with small candles illuminating the private space. Diners talked quietly among themselves in order to avoid disturbing others, and servers brought out plates of extravagant looking pasta dishes. Sakura couldn't help but smile as she followed Sasuke and the hostess to their table. It was such a different atmosphere from what she was used to at the café.

As they slid into the booth, the hostess handed them elegant menus along with a wine list and let them be.

Sasuke looked down at the list of wines and asked, "Would you like a glass?"

"Yes, something white and dry. A pinot grigio or sauvignon if they have one."

Sasuke raised an amused brow at her. "You not only know your coffees, you know your wines as well."

She laughed lightly. "Well I can't limit my expertise to one thing."

"I suppose you have a point." He waved the server and placed their drink orders then, once they were both comfortably sipping their wine, turned back to Sakura. "What are you going to school for?"

"Well, I finished my degree in pre-med, so now I'm going to medical school. I'm becoming a surgeon," she said casually, but Sasuke nearly choked on his sip of wine hearing this.

"Medical school? Really?" he asked, astounded.

She blinked and he worried he had offended her, but she broke into a smile and laughed. "I guess no one expects the barista to be going to medical school, but I have to pay for it somehow."

"I'm sorry," he said quickly. "I didn't mean to sound so surprised. How much longer do you have?"

"Only about a year and half," she said eagerly. "Then I start residency."

"You'll be pretty busy then," he said, glancing down at the menu.

"Not too busy," she said. She blushed lightly, turning her gaze away. "I know this sounds kind of silly, but…you're my favorite customer."

"I should hope so." The words were out of his mouth before he even realized he had said them. "I'm glad you left that message for me."

"Oh, that," she said, waving her hand in the air, "my friend insisted that if I didn't do it, she would. I knew I was taking a risk, but I couldn't let her do it for me."

He smirked. "The bossy blonde one, right?" As a regular, Sasuke had gotten to recognize the rest of the café staff as well.

"That's the one," she said with a laugh. "I'm sure you have a coworker like that you have to deal with too, right?"

"Something like that," Sasuke said with a roll of his eyes. "Although he's more annoying than bossy."

They both laughed at that and the evening was spent chatting and asking each other questions. Sasuke learned that Sakura was roommates with the bossy blonde, whose name was Ino, and that they were attending medical school together. He learned that Sakura only worked on weekday mornings and spent the rest of the weekdays attending classes at the nearby university. She was very passionate about her work, and Sasuke respected that.

He answered all of her questions as well. She wanted to know what line of business he was in – marketing. She asked if he enjoyed doing it – most of the time. He talked a bit about his officemates and the latest project he was involved in, but he worried he was boring her despite her look of genuine interest.

The compared hobbies and found they both enjoyed reading and good movies. Neither of them enjoyed attending parties in their college days and preferred quiet nights at home. In fact, Sasuke was surprised about the number of things they ended up having in common, and by the end of the night he was certain he wanted to see her again.

After dinner had been finished and paid for, Sasuke escorted her back to his car. They had spent nearly two hours in the booth talking and they both felt they had overstayed their welcome at the table. He managed to open the car door for her this time and she gave him a smile as she slid into the seat.

With full stomachs, they drove in comfortable silence, and when Sasuke pulled into her apartment complex he felt an anticipation that he hadn't felt for quite one time. A question rose in his mind; should he kiss her?

He put the car into park and turned to face her. "Sakura," he started slowly, and then decided to take a safe route. "Would you like to go out again?"

She nodded and met his gaze with a light smile. "Yes, I'd like that."

Now was the moment. He had been too cautious to ask her out in the first place, but he wasn't about to let this opportunity slip through his fingers. He leaned forward and caught her lips in a gentle kiss, placing his hand lightly on her knee. After a moment, he pulled back to look her in the eyes. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips parted slightly from the kiss. He thought she looked beautiful.

"I'll see you on Monday," he said, his voice low.

She broke into a radiant smile. "I'm looking forward to it."


End file.
